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Please note that as of October 24, 2014, the Nokia Developer Wiki will no longer be accepting user contributions, including new entries, edits and comments, as we begin transitioning to our new home, in the Windows Phone Development Wiki. We plan to move over the majority of the existing entries. Thanks for all your past and future contributions.

Themes and usability

Creating user-friendly themes is quite straightforward if you keep the following things in your mind:

Style:A theme is more than a background image - a theme should have a unifying idea with a consistent style and balanced colour palette.

Contrast:Mobile devices are small and the text and icons on them are even smaller - a good contrast should be provided throughout the theme, so that the icons, texts, and the focus and scrolling indicators are easy to interpret.
Even the best sketches need revising and require hard-disciplined work to make them really good.

Theme Components with high usability

Idle background

The idle background is displayed when the device is in idle mode and it can be practically anything you like or think the users of your Theme would like.

Note: There will be things on top of the idle background that have to be readable, such as the date and the time.

PREFERRED

NOT PREFERRED

Active background

Background for different applications, pop-ups, and fields

Active standby

Scalable UI

When screen orientation changes from portrait to landscape and the aspect ratio of the display changes.Theme creator should also consider this effect.

PORTRAIT MODE

LANDSCAPE MODE

Icons and metaphors

Usable clocks, signals, and status bars

Ring Tone GuideLines For Nokia Devices

Nokia GuideLines For Creating User Friendly Themes

Few SnapShot of Forum Champion Theme

Similar theme could be created for:

1:Super Contributor.

2:Regular Contributor.

3:Post Of the Month.

4:Wiki Contributor.

As they are the important part of the Nokia Developer Community.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Text not clearly visible or not visible at all.

Improper icons; icons represents the functioning. Improper usage of icons can be misleading.

Keep in mind both landscape and regular view.

Explicit distinction should be possible for users for the selected and not selected items.